cislunar orbit

ORBITAL DATA CENTERS IN LEGAL VACUUM

With a landmark filing to the Federal Communications Commission, SpaceX proposed a network of one million solar-powered satellites designed not for communication, but for computation. This “Orbital Data Center” system, bolstered by the recent SpaceX-xAI merger, aims to place massive AI server farms into outer space—opening a jurisdictional dilemma. We are witnessing the birth of “Digital Soil,” a new form of territory where power is exercised not by planting flags, but by controlling space-based data processing. For emerging economies and Global South democracies, the implications are severe. If orbital infrastructure becomes the backbone of global AI, exclusion from its governance will translate directly into a new form of digital dependency. In a commentary for JURIST website, Vishal Sharma of NALSAR University in Hyderabad argues that the United Nations must designate orbital strata as “International Data Commons” to ensure that the “Digital Soil” of our future remains a global public good.

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Iraq
OWFI

Iraq: women’s rights defender assassinated

Prominent Iraqi women’s rights defender Yanar Mohammed was killed outside her Baghdad residence by two unidentified men. No group has claimed responsibility for the assassination. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has ordered an investigation. International human rights organizations are urging authorities to identify the perpetrators and halt a continuing pattern of targeted attacks on activists in the country. Mohammed was co-founder and director of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI). She was widely recognized for her work supporting women facing gender-based violence, which included establishing a network of safe houses across several Iraqi cities. (Photo via Facebook)